Unai Emery has Ezri Konsa replacement ready for Leeds United vs Aston Villa as training footage emerges
Aston Villa could be without Ezri Konsa for their trip to face Leeds United on Sunday.
Konsa was sent home by England after Thomas Tuchel opted not to take a risk on the 28-year-old’s fitness.
The frustration comes after Konsa was superb for England against Serbia, before ultimately returning to Villa Park earlier than expected.
That could have a knockdown effect on Unai Emery’s side as Villa prepare to face Leeds United at Elland Road in a return to Premier League action.
The Spaniard will have a decision to make about whether to utilise Konsa after a return to Bodymoor Heath, but it appears that there are various options available.
Aston Villa training images emerge ahead of Leeds United clash
Villa’s starting 11 against Leeds could feature plenty of changes after what may prove to be a hugely damaging international break.
Konsa was just one of many first-team names who returned to B6 early, with Lamare Bogarde, Amadou Onana and Matty Cash also picking up injuries with their nations.
There has been little noise from Villa Park about the fitness of these stars and how likely they are to feature against Daniel Farke’s side.
The Villans have been dealt a surprise boost after Morgan Rogers shared an insight into training on his Instagram story.
His post features him and Bogarde battling it out in training, showing that the Dutchman isn’t suffering from whatever problem he had during the break.
The 21-year-old could prove to be the man for Emery, especially if Konsa is to miss out from the side against Leeds.
Lamare Bogarde could replace Ezri Konsa vs Leeds
The Englishman is truly the beating heart of the Villa backline after many years of stellar service, so his absence will be felt.
The 28-year-old completed the most passes on the pitch with 39 against Bournemouth and also chipped in with four defensive actions while winning two duels.
That sort of impact will be difficult to replicate if he is to miss out, but Bogarde could be in perfect stead to step forward and be counted by Emery.
In his last start, the fringe ace did well against Maccabi Tel Aviv as he maintained a 95 per cent pass accuracy across his 58 attempts and, like Konsa, provided four defensive contributions.
The Netherlands youth international also won five duels and was fouled twice, proving that he has the physicality needed for an Emery backline.
With Bogarde already in training, he could prove to be an ideal option for a trip to face a struggling Leeds side.
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